Wednesday, March 5, 2014

I recently went to Mexico, and these were the essentials I brought with me in my beauty grab-bag!

(1) Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette: My new favorite and most essential beauty item, this warm, rose-tone infused palette makes you glow and can be used to create a wide array of versatile looks, with rich, buttery shadows.

(2) Chanel Blush in Malice: This blush smells heavenly, and it's not often that you say that about your blusher. That's just the tip of the iceberg, since the formulation is also heavenly and it applies like a dream. I find that when I am tan, this blush enhances my skin tone giving the natural, slight redness of the cheeks that comes along with a sun-kissed glow.

(3) Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Insolence: I love this formulation because it is equal parts rich and pigmented, and packs a serious shine that can't be imitated. It just completely puts the legendary, cult-status glossimers to shame. Silky, yet long wearing, and not the slightest bit sticky. And the packaging? Pure luxury. You really do get what you pay for in this instance. This color in particular is a warm, coral-y pink that is brightening, yet still neutral and flattering. Perfect go-to gloss for the warmer months.

(4) Revlon Lipstick in Siren: If you are going to lug lipstick on vacation with you, it must be bright. That's the unwritten rule of tropical traveling. Orange lipstick is going to he HUGE this spring and summer, but I was feeling too trend shy to splash out on an orange lipstick from a prestige brand. Turns out, there was no need for me to do so... Siren is bright, beautifully pigmented and hydrating. My new go-to bright lipstick.

(5) L'Oreal Liquid to Powder Foundation: Ah the beauty of cascading. This beauty industry term refers to the process in which product formulations are released by prestige brands, and then eventually trickle down into staggered releases amongst the mass market brands. In the case of this product, I had read that it was a dupe for the Armani Skin Maestro foundation, which I have never tested, and never plan to because this product is AMAZING. I don't often rave about foundation but this product truly deserves it. Scentless and virtually undetectable to the eye, it evens your skin-tone and perfects, but it looks like skin, not like a mask. Like you woke up with flawless skin. Super natural, and a totally fuss free product. That'll teach me to judge a book by its cover...

(6) Oribe Surf and Wave Spray: I love Oribe and I love that they make travel size offerings.. perfect excuse to make an "I just want to test this" purchase. While I have wavy hair, and this product wasn't overwhelmingly amazing when it came to beachy texture, it does define and create some waves when you spray it on wet/damp hair. It smells yummy and it creates very little crunchiness. The real beauty of this product however, is that it virtually eliminated the frizziness that plagues me and defeated the matte beach hair look that is hard to pull off, unless of course, you are Jared Leto. I'd say if you like a beachy, mussed up, textured hairstyle, but frizz is your nemesis, like me, you should buy it. As a bonus, it has the most amazing mist upon application. The mechanics of the bottle are simply one of a kind. But I'm probably the only person you know who would use that as a justifiable reason for making a purchase.

Monday, March 3, 2014

At this stage in the game, it's a pretty safe assumption that I am a weapon of massive consumption when it comes to cosmetics. So, a few weeks ago when I walked past Lush, I couldn't fight the compulsion to go in an just take a sneaky peak at a little something as a pick-me-up for the seemingly endless winter we are having. Of course, I couldn't leave without purchasing something, and I decided on one of their fresh, hand made masks. They come in tiny little tubs, with just enough for around 8 uses and they expire in about two weeks time. Perfect for a spa night with your girlfriends (especially given the very reasonable, under $10 price tag), not so much for the ever so occasional pamper night solo. Packed with wonderful ingredients that hydrate (honey and coconut oil) as well as brighten (green tea and papaya), there are also a number of essential oils listed as ingredients, which I have mixed feelings about. Not to mention this mask smells very, very verdant. Pungently verdant. Think grass, which, truth be told, is not my ideal choice where fragrances are concerned. But alas, I digress. Slather some on and it dries in less than 10 minutes time, and then you rinse. It doesn't make a drastic difference, but the papaya has enzymes which does help to exfoliate, revealing more even and toned skin. Does it blow my Glam Glow Exfoliating Mud out of the water? No way. But, all things considered, it is a nice treatment that doesn't require a huge investment, so, if you are looking to just unwind via a nice relaxing ritual it might be a good bet for you.